Merchandise display hangers adapted for insertion into apertured display panels, such as pegboard display panels, are widely used to display sales items in merchandise stores in the United States and abroad. Such display mechanisms allow an attractive, ordered, and efficient presentation of merchandise to customers. Efficiency results in part from the ease of changing the merchandise displayed, or the format for displaying the merchandise. If the format is to be changed, it is relatively straightforward to remove the display hangers from the apertured display panel. The hangers can then be remounted on the panel in a new format, given the spacing limitations of the holes in the display panel.
One such display hanger is disclosed, by Thalenfeld (U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,051). Thalenfeld discloses a wire-like merchandise display member having two interconnected outwardly projecting display arms. Wire-like lug means for mounting the display member on a pegboard display panel are attached to the portion interconnecting the two projecting arms. A display label can be attached to a label holder which attaches to the upper projecting arm, while the lower projecting arm is used to suspend the merchandise.
Display hangers such as the Thalenfeld device are used by merchandisers to present labeling information in an easily readable fashion. The information is displayed on the upper arm in front of the merchandise which is generally suspended from a lower arm. The label holding device must be readily accessible because of the need for frequent price and/or merchandise changes. At the same time, the device must be secure and sturdy so as to withstand frequent handling.
Where many sales items are displayed together on a single display panel or on a series of display panels, it is often difficult to remove a single display hanger or to add another without disrupting the hangers and/or merchandise which are already in place. The most common wire-like display hangers are similar to the Thalenfeld device in that they generally have relatively long supporting arms. When a device like the Thalenfeld device is closely surrounded by other similar devices, it is very difficult to insert or remove the Thalenfeld hanger because it must be tilted upwards into space often occupied by other hangers or merchandise supported by those hangers in order to insert the angular lug means into holes in the pegboard. Such disruptions tend to limit the efficiency the use of these devices affords.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that prior art devices present problems which are in need of solutions. The present invention provides solutions for these and other problems.